Aerodynamic support



Sept. 29, 1936.

H. H. JAcoBs 2,055,498

AERODYNAMIC SUPPORT Filed Aug. 5, 1933 u h l I MN /30 3l /l/ l f 2% y tFEw Patented sept. 29, 1936 PATENT OFFICE AERODYNAMIC SUPPORT' Homer H. Jacobs, Dayton, Ohio Application 'August 5,

4 Claims.

1933, Serial N0. 683,759

(Cl. l- 127) (Granted imacv the act' of March s, 1883, as

amended April 30,

The invention. described lherein maybe manufactured andrused by orifor the lGrovernment'for governmental purposes; withoutthe paymentfto me of .any royalty-thereon;

" erodynamc support This invention relates todeviceswadaptedto' aerodynamically support bodies in fspa'ce;

It isa principal 'object ofathe invention to suspendbodiesofvarious' shapes 4.and sizes; in midair., without visible means.:

A further object'offthe'inventionisto accom-` plishf' the-aforementioned 'suspension intermittently,toattract attentiontof passers-by.

It'.` is'v ai still further', obj ectiv of the invention toA provide a` device,.readily' adaptable to display tables `or cabinets; Awhiclrmay b'e :either hidden `or visiblepasdesired.:`

Another." objectof the. invention is to 'effect form which will attract the attention: of those Tofurther hold attention, theinventiony is adapted to bodily'rotate the aforementioned aerodynamic 4displaysfrom :time` of formation to time .of discontinuance.:

With the aforementioned and other objects I in View, which-willfappear` as-'.the description pro-- ceeds,-theinvention-,consists in certain'new and' 3. novel improvements inr aerodynamic supports,` which: will .be hereinafter. more..4 fully 'illustrated and described in thefaccompanyingA drawingi and Fig. 4: is'afpl-an vew'of'the fluidipressure sup-- ply regulator..

tyA to azuid pressure supply. (not shown)' and at the other extremity to avalve housing 2, fixedly attachedtoa base- 3d A bleeder. valve 4. is slidablymountedI upon an outwardly` extending projectionxprovidedv upon the housing 2. Backward andforward-.movement ofthe valve 4.is accomplished by means-of an electricmotor- 5, trans.-

mission Eiland an I electrical switch `1, actuated by'` tripping bars 8` xedly attached: tothe valve- 4. OutwardV movement of: the valve 4--fromthe housaerodynamic displays of pre-arrangedlr'rdsign' InFig. 1.; ahose. I iszconnected at one extremiing2. gradually exposes a slotted opening in the outwardly extending projection provided upon. the housing 2 and causes varyingV escapage. of air supplied bythe hose I. Through continued reciprocation of the valve 4, Varying quantities of air are intermittently caused to flow throughY the hose 9 into the base of a platform support I0 andfrom thence to arrotatable platform II. Diagrammatic representation of the emission of Va maximum quantity of air is illustrated by jets lof air I2a through I2C.

Referring to Fig. 2, the platform* suport I0 is comprised of a base plate I3 xedly attachedito ayertical column I4 by means of the screws I5.

A .pipe L i6 is threadedinto the base ofthe column I4. The co1umn-l4 is provided with a recess I'I, a journal i8 and a retaining ring I9. Air is thus caused tovflow from .the pipe l. I6 directly into the journal I8. A leaf springr20 isfxedly securedto the upper outer` extremity ofthe column I4 by means of screws 2I. 'I'heupper portion of the leaf spring 20 is provided withan adjustablescrew22, the operation of whichvwill'be referred tovbelow.

The rotatable platform II is comprised of. a body portion 23 .to'which is flxedly` attached a-v vertical axle 24, adaptedat its lower extremity to t snugly` within the journal I8. The axle 24 is further provided with `thrust bearings 25, which are held in the recess I1 by means of the retaining ring I9. There is lixedly. attached to the body portion 23VV and axle 24 a braking drum 26. Inward` travel of the screw 22, with reference 4to the leaf spring 20, frees the upper end of the latter from the drum 26. Through gradual'outward adjustment` of the screw 22, the upper extremity of the leaf spring 20 is brought into braking contact with the outer surface of the drum 26. Jet nozzles 21a through 2'lcare provided through-employment of conventional petcocks xedly attached to the. upper extremity of the axle 24 by means ofsuitable piping. and a fitting 28. The jet nozzle 2lb is coaxially disposed with reference to the axle 24. The jet nozzlesZla and 2Ic are angularly disposed with respect to the perpendicular. In Fig. 1 their longitudinal axes areshownat acute angles to the longitudinal axis of theaxle 24. Reference to Fig. 3 further illustrates the angular disposition of axes-@ y with respect to the axis :v -a2. The `body portion 23 is provided with a cover plate 29 `to which'is iixedly attached abody retainer 30 by means of pedestals'- 3|. The retainer 30 is provided with holding' loops 32a..and. 32h, adapted to receive and support thespheres 33a and` 33o during absence of emission of the jets of air |2a and |2b. It will Ybe noted that incoming air from the hose 9 is free to pass through the hollow interior of the axle 24 and from thence through the jet nozzles 21a through 21e in to the atmosphere.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be noted that jet propulsionr of the rotatable platform ll is effected upon emission of air from the Yjet nozzles 21a and 21e, due to the angular disposition of the axes :c-x and y-y. The rate of turn of the rotatable platform Il is regulated through the quantity of air delivered by the hose 9 and by adjustment of the screw 22. The period of the starting-to-stopping cycle of the rotatable platform Il is regulated by the valve 4, electricmotor 5, transmission 6 and electric switch .1..

In Fig.. 4, the housing 2 is provided with an outwardly extending projection v34 having a V shaped slotted opening 35. A cylindrical valve `4 is slidablyrmounted upon the projection 34, its outer end being threaded to receive the screw 36. A pin 31,'secured to the open end of the'valve 4, slidably engages a slot 38 provided in the pro'- Y jection 34 to prevent valve rotation with respect to its support. The outer extremity of the screw 36 is journalled lto a housing 3 9 and provided with a Aworm gear 40 and thrust bearings 4I. A worm pinion 42 is4 mounted directly over the gear v40upon a shaft 43 provided with thrust bearings 4| The inner end of the shaft 43 vis attached to a exible coupling 44 driven by the Vmotor 5. The valve 4 is provided with tripping bars 8a and 8b. "As shown in Fig. 4, the valve 4 has reached maximum outward travel, the tripping bar 8a having thrown a lever 45 of the electrical switch 1. The transmission Y6 has momentarily stopped preparatory to reversal of the motor 5. Maximum inward travel of the valve 4 effects reversal of the above switch tripping action through engagement of the tripping bar 8b with the lever 45 ofthe electrical switch 1.

VVThe operation of my device is as follows:

- Referring to Fig. 1, let it be assumed that the screw 22 is adjusted outwardly until the leaf spring 20 exerts its maximum pressure against the drum v26 and that the spheres 33a through 33e are placed in the holding loops 32a. through 32e. i With the valve 4 in closed position and the electric motor 5 dormant, let a constant fluid pressure supply be delivered through the hose l. The spheres 33afthrough 33o will assume and maintain the attitude shown in Fig. 1 as long as thereyis a steady emission of air from the jet nozzles 21a and 21e. If it is desired, a fourth sphre 33d may be added, provided that the Weight of the sphere 33d is appreciably less than that of the sphere 33h for the reason that the latter sphere is in a position to receive uninterrupted buoyancy from the jet of air |211.

Let it next be assumed that the sphere 33d is removed from the jet of air IZb, and uninterrupted electric energy supplied to the electric motor'5. The valve 4 willpass from the closed position'referred to hereinabove to a position of maximum opening, whereupon the iiuid pressure supplyfpas'sing through the `hose l will escapev ously positioned flush with the top surface of a display cabinet, with the holding recesses inconspicuously positioned or totally hidden therewithin. The spheres 33b and 33d, of Fig 1, are decorated with small black dots for the reasons that the vertically disposed jet of air |26' does not have a tendency to rotate the object suspended. with reference to the retainer 30. This decoration may, of course, be varied to depict a globe off the world, moon or other desired body. No deco-- ration has'been shown for the rapidly rotating' spheres 33a and 33e. As the acute angle between the longitudinal aids of the jets of air |2a and a perpendicular to the cover plate 29 at point ofi intersection of said longitudinal axis and the top" surface of said plate increases in magnitude, the rate of rotation of the sphere 33a increases. There is a limit to the aforementioned angular increase at which point the jet |2a is no longer capable of supporting the sphere 33a.

From the foregoing it is obvious that my invention is adapted to maintain, without visible means, desired groups of heavenly bodies, including appropriate planetary motion thereof. My invention further furnishes ready means for analyzing the movements of spheres rotating in space, including the effect of secondary rotation of the axes thereof.

I claim:

1. Means for aerodynamically supporting a plurality of bodies in prearranged configuration. comprising, a support, a plurality of jet nozzles' angularly mounted thereon with respect to the perdendicular, body retaining means operatively associated with said jet nozzles, a source of fluid pressure supply, and' means for intermittently interrupting emission of streams ofuid from said jet nozzles whereby said bodies are aerodynamically raised from, suspended in mid-air above, andV lowered to said retaining means.

2. Means for aerodynamically supporting a plurality of bodies in prearranged conguration comprising, a rotatably mounted support, a plurality of jet nozzles angularly mounted thereon with respect to the perpendicular, body retaining means operatively associated with said jet nozzles, a source of fluid pressure supply, and means for intermittently interrupting the flow of said fluid pressure supply, said plurality of jet nozzles being positioned on said rotatably mounted support such that said support is caused to rotate upon emission of streams of fluid from said jet nozzles whereby said bodies 'are aerodynamically raised from, suspended in mid-air above, and lowered to said retaining means.

3. In a display device, a plurality of spheres, a support having a vertical member and a horizontal member including sphere holding means, at least one perpendicularly and at least one angularly disposed jet nozzle singly secured beneath said sphere holding means, a source of iiuid pressure supply, and means for intermittently interrupting the new of said fluid pressure such that beneath said sphere holding means, a source of iluid pressure supply, and nreans for intermittently interrupting the flow of said uid pressure supply, at least one of said plurality of jet nozzles being positioned on said horizontal member such' that said member is caused to periodically rotate upon intermittent emission of Streams of fluid from said jet nozzles as said spheres are aerodynamically raised from, suspended in mid-air above and lowered to said sphere holding means. 10

HOM'ER H. JACOBS. 

